Discussion Post 3

Name Institution Course Professor Date The Struggles of Forced Faith in Salvation by Langston Hughes Why Does Hughes Start Crying at the End of the Story? In Salvation, Langston Hughes starts crying at the end because of the intense guilt and shame he feels after pretending to be saved. As his aunt and the preacher described, he had been waiting for a transformative spiritual experience, but nothing happened. Seeing others, like his friend Westley, experience salvation, Hughes feels pressured to conform. He lies and gets up, pretending to have been saved. Later, in bed, Hughes cries because the truth of his deception overwhelms him. His tears result from his guilt for deceiving everyone, especially his aunt. Was Hughes Really Ready to Be Saved? Hughes was not ready to be saved. At twelve years old, he lacked the emotional and spiritual maturity to understand salvation. Instead of a genuine religious experience, his actions were motivated by the pressure to conform. Hughes was not interested in a transformative spiritual moment but i...